The present invention relates to a reinforcing structure for reinforcing a vertical frame member constituting a sash frame of a sash to be mounted in an opening of a building so that the vertical frame member may not be largely curved or deformed along the longitudinal direction thereof by wind pressure or the like.
Generally, a sash to be mounted in an opening of a building is constructed as follows: An upper transverse frame member, a lower transverse frame member and vertical frame members are connected with each other to form a rectangular sash frame, and a glass, a door or the like is mounted in this sash frame to form a sash.
The upper and lower transverse frame members constituting the sash frame of the sash are fixed to the upper and lower edge portions of the opening of the building, respectively. On the other hand, the vertical frame members are not always fixed to the vertical edge portions of the opening of the building. For example, in a transversely continuous multiple window in which a plurality of sash frames are continuously mounted in the opening of the building, an intermediate vertical frame member is not fixed to the vertical edge portion of the opening of the building but connected to the upper and lower transverse frame members. A mullion, which is an intermediate vertical frame member extended between and connected with the upper and lower transverse members at their longitudinal intermediate portions, is not fixed to the vertical edge portion of the opening of the building, either.
The upper transverse frame member, the lower transverse frame member and the vertical frame members are formed of aluminum material through an extrusion molding process. Therefore, the respective frame members have low rigidity and are easily curved or deformed along their longitudinal direction.
Therefore, it may happen that the vertical frame member which is not fixed to the vertical edge portion of the opening of the building is largely curved or deformed along the longitudinal direction by high wind pressure such as in a typhoon, and as a result, a glass mounted in the sash frame comes off the sash frame and/or is damaged.
In order to solve this problem, a reinforcing member formed of steel is attached to the vertical frame member continuously along the longitudinal direction to thereby reinforce the vertical frame member and prevent the vertical frame member from being largely curved or deformed along the longitudinal direction by wind pressure.
In order to prevent the vertical frame member from being largely curved or deformed along the longitudinal direction by providing the reinforcing member, it is necessary to attach the reinforcing member to the vertical frame member in the manner that the force tending to curve or deform the vertical frame member is transmitted to the reinforcing member.
Therefore, in the prior art, the reinforcing member is connected to the vertical frame member by a large number of screws to ensure that the force tending to curve or deform the vertical frame member is transmitted to the reinforcing member.
However, for this structure, troublesome works are required such as forming to the reinforcing member a large number of holes through which a large number of screws are inserted, and fastening a large number of screws. Further, the cost is increased owing to the use of a large number of screws.